Zagreb - Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković, who on Wednesday toured parts of Sisak-Moslavina County hardest hit by the earthquake, said that Croatia would not leave those people and would stay by them.
Jandroković visited Petrinja, Glina and Majske Poljane where most people were killed in the earthquake.
"Families who have lost their loved ones are in the worst situation," he said, noting that the situation was difficult in all these places, as well as in Novo Selo Glinsko, where all houses were damaged in the earthquake and the church's bell tower collapsed.
"It is extremely important that we respond quickly, that help is provided to those who need it most," the Parliament Speaker said, satisfied with the way the government and emergency services responded, including the Croatian Mountain Rescue Service (HGSS), army, police, hospital staff, volunteers and young people helping people in the villages.
Jandroković said there were many people who had lost their home but did not want to leave. "That is why it is important that tents and containers arrive as soon as possible," he said, adding that Minister Božinović told him that one of the requests to the EU was the procurement of containers. "Some of the housing containers are on their way, they are a solution for the people living in rural areas," Jandroković said.
Parliament to respond quickly
He reiterated that the parliament would respond quickly and pass all the necessary acts and laws to enable the process to go further.
"I am in close contact with the prime minister, and now the dilema is whether to include Sisak-Moslavina County in the act on the reconstruction of Zagreb and its environs or to pass a separate law," he said, adding that they had to see which model would ensure efficiency and speed.
The area's characteristics need to be taken into account because here a rural area sustained damage, and in Petrinja the buildings in the centre were completely destroyed and many of them will have to be rebuilt, he said.
"Let's leave this to the government and the professions, and immediately after that the parliament will use the fast-track procedure to pass the law," Jandroković said.
He underscored that the reconstruction of the damaged area would require a lot of funds, tens and hundreds of millions of euro.
According to an announcement from the EU, these funds will be available to us, but it is important to channel them quickly, turn the money into projects, buildings, houses, he said.